The Magdalen in a Landscape, Adriaen Ysenbrandt
In the National Gallery, London. Also on Google Art Project, downloadable file on Wikimedia Commons.
Painted in the early 16th century, this delicately rendered devotional piece features a truly strange landscape, including a scene within a scene in which Mary is shown reading in a rather bizarre little cave. There are beautiful touches in the detailed rendering of the book, jar and and flowers.
In contrast to the other background elements, the large tree is naturalistic in a way similar to the styles of later centuries.
Link: The Magdalen in a Landscape, National Gallery, London
The landscape in the distance reminds me a little of Patinir’s landscape treatment and color scheme. A connection?
This is something I find particularly interesting. I’ve seen it in many paintings from the late Middle Ages to the early Renaissance. It appears to have been a common convention, up until a certain point during the Renaissance, that these distant backgrounds were a bit too blue, and too sharp in detail. I get the impression that they had figured out that things get more blue in the distance, but not the effects of atmospheric perspective on removing detail.
I really like that effect and the unique quality it brings. It must have been seen and passed around or taught because it is so far from reality but also pretty consistent.